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Washington’s workers’ compensation benefit costs are again the highest in the country

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released its annual workers’ compensation report today. For 2014 (there is a data lag), Washington’s benefit costs were the highest in the nation at $825.33 per covered worker. The states with the next highest benefit costs were California ($776.86), Alaska ($682.06), and Wyoming ($665.56). Washington has consistently ranked […]

Washington's minimum wage will increase in 2017, whether or not I-1433 approved

Washington's minimum wage will increase next year to $9.53 per hour, according to the Department of Labor & Industries. The increase will occur because the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased, and the minimum wage in our state is indexed to inflation. The minimum wage has been $9.47 since 2015 — CPI declined in 2015, so […]

Seattle's new job-scheduling mandate: Union recruiting tool?

To the surprise of no one, the Seattle City Council yesterday approved the most restrictive employee-scheduling mandate in the country. Coined "secure scheduling" by the labor groups that backed the effort to pass it, the new law – which goes into effect next July – is far-reaching. As The Seattle Times reports, Employers would be […]

Labor demand and the minimum wage

One of the big questions about minimum wage increases is whether and how they will reduce employment. In general, as we discuss in our recent report on I-1433, the preponderance of evidence suggests that employment will decline as the minimum wage increases. But “by how much?” is less settled, as there is not a consensus as […]

Details from Seattle’s proposed scheduling ordinance

Yesterday a Seattle City Council committee discussed a proposed “secured scheduling” ordinance. (A summary is available here.) The city council process will continue at least into September. This follows the release of a study commissioned by the city that was inconclusive on the need for scheduling legislation. The proposed ordinance argues that increased wages will not […]

New report: I-1433: A “Blunt Instrument” Increasing the Minimum Wage and Mandating Paid Sick Leave

Initiative 1433 will be on the ballot in November. We consider the initiative in a new report. Briefly: I-1433 would increase the state minimum wage to $13.50 over four years. It would require businesses statewide to provide paid sick leave to employees. One hour of paid sick leave would be earned for every 40 hours […]

How Seattle’s minimum wage increase to $11 is affecting workers and businesses

A team at the University of Washington has been studying the effects of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance. In January, the team provided preliminary estimates on the ordinance’s impacts on prices (they suggested “a concentration of price effects in the restaurant industry”). In April, a report providing baseline employer survey and worker interview information was released. […]

In scheduling study, more evidence that labor regulations distort the compensation mix

A new study (commissioned by the city of Seattle) looks at how scheduling works in Seattle businesses and considers what regulations might be in order. Opportunity Washington has a good overview of the findings and responses to them. Some have questioned the study’s methodology—the authors included. The study consists of surveys of workers and managers, […]

The interaction of employment policies can be costly and problematic

In combination, employment policies can create “the straw that broke the camel’s back” situations, and their interactions can put them at cross purposes with each other. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has recently released a few reports on employment policies that illustrate this. First, the Chamber looks at how employment regulations affect California’s economy. Some of the findings are […]

Washington average wage increases — so will UI benefits and taxes and workers' comp COLAs

Last week the Employment Security Department (ESD) reported that the state's average annual wage was $56,273 in 2015 (a 2.6 percent increase over the previous year). This has implications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and taxes and workers' compensation benefits. According to ESD, for new claims, the minimum weekly unemployment benefit will increase from $158 […]